San Diego Trip 2014

The spring time for work can ultimately be a very busy time for myself and a few of my colleagues and especially the company. With the onset of layoffs and stress from work, I felt I really needed a get away trip this month with some gals from work. We left on a Thursday late afternoon from Sacramento and flew into San Diego. I was so excited I could hardly sleep the night before! I wanted to get out of dodge and it is so important to simply take a breath or take a break, otherwise you will go crazy. Tara and Julie accompanied me on this trip and we arrived at the St. James Historic Hotel in downtown SD. The hotel was not your average Westin or Marriot, it had a 24 hour restaurant and bar right within the place as you walked in the lobby. I had a great eggs benedict there and a mimosa for Friday breakfast and so worth wait.  The elevators were old glass doors that you opened and pushed the crate slider aside to get in and go up or down. The beds were comfy, and the room was just fine even if there wasn't a view; keep in mind, the real view was on the 10th floor and up the stairs to the rooftop of the building which overlooked the whole city! it was breathtaking and beautiful. We took drinks up there and sat on chairs and chatted and laughed. The place lets you go to a gym across the way, down the street called the Merrill Lynch building and inside it the gym called Pure Fitness. Granted, I am no lawyer, but this was the most incredible facility I have seen so far besides the one I currently attend called 24 hour fitness. It had different floors with weights, machines, cables, punching bags, box jumps, bench presses, elliptical, group x classes, and a  stream room in the locker room. All we had to do was take passes and go for free. One morning we went to a little coffee café that served delicious crepes called Flixir because the gym wasn't open till 9am on weekends. On that Friday Julie took our Ford Focus rental car (nice car to drive and cheap rental in case you wondered) and drove it to Balboa Park. I have been here as a kid, and it is a beautiful garden full of plants, museums, flowers, coy fish, music, church bells, sculptures, the zoo is nearby, and fountains and springs line the courtyard. I wanted to share the beauty with the girls because it is something not many have seen. We even saw the Organ Courtyard where one of the world's largest organs is housed and plays during summer with concerts. We headed back to the car around noon or so to the historic Hotel Coronado and Beach. Now this was a ritzy, glitzy, expensive, five star, historic hotel that Tara says the movie, "Some like it Hot" was filmed. The beach is near the naval base, and you can imagine my happy surprise as huge planes flew overhead, F22's and fighter planes practice training, which I loved to see. We laid on the beach and put our toes in the sand and had a great time looking for cute men walking or running along the shoreline. The weather was gorgeous and with a light breeze. There was a man who calls himself the Sand Castle Man. He was creating a large castle with stairs, a moat, and path on the other side with a tower clock and Disney figurines from Cinderella were placed at the other end, the prince and princess. It was an amazing creation and he even has a website, sandcastleman.com. Not sure if he has a real job, but the guy loves what he does, and had quite the crowd observing his talent.  We went to dinner at a place called Urban Bar and Grill on Thursday night, a basic steakhouse where I had grilled salmon, and tried incredible mac n cheese with bacon... not your standard Kraft brand at all, world's better. We toasted each other and the trip with cocktails and walked back to the hotel. Friday night, we went to one of my favorite Mexican places in Southern California, called Casa Guadalajara. It was there that we had margaritas and were joined by my Auntie Liz, (she will be 87 next month!) and my Uncle Russ. I had a great time and was so happy to see them I had tears in my eyes. I loved being able to connect and relaxed a great deal being around them as my friends chatted with them about their lives and asked questions about their travels. We went to the Bazaar Del Mundo Plaza shopping center and I showed them all the culture, music, dancing, and souvenirs they could buy and see: conquistador statues are still there even though the owner sold the area, they have kept a lot of the history and the places. Saturday our last day, (I was trying not to be bummed as we saw some people setting up for the large St. Paddy's Day Festival) we ate breakfast and worked out, then hopped in the car post shower, to La Jolla beach. Off the edge of the cliffs and the tumbling waves, seals, big and small where lying, swimming, sliding, and calling one another as we walked on the side of the walkway to the beach. Seeing them up close made my heart soar and I was elated watching them play in their element and not in captivity. After watching awhile, we went to lunch at Cody's eatery up the hill, grabbed some cookies at a place called Aroma café and then 'reluctantly' oh I say that because maybe it was just me, but reluctantly went back to the car and headed (dare I say it) back to the airport. We returned the car and headed to the shuttle to take us to the gates. Tara and I took a nap on the floor by the gate and an hour and a half later I was in her car headed for home. San Diego I will be back and what a blessed wonderful time I really did have, thanking God for that. Moxie has unpacked and is evening thinking about her next adventure!